Treading Water
by PixieRed
Summary: While the Shujin girls teach Futaba to swim, Makoto reflects on her conscientious image. Written for Day 3 of Makoto Niijima Week 2018: Sports / Motorsports / Martial Arts


"Absolutely not." Haru crossed her forearms, making a big "X" shape. She was wearing a violet floral tankini dress and a large sunhat despite being indoors. "What about your other one?"

"That one has a skirt and long ties... I think it will distract too much from my form," explained Makoto. The goal was to teach Futaba how to swim so she could pass the proficiency test once she re-entered school. Given the mission was technical and for school, Makoto thought it best to wear her school swimsuit, a navy one piece with her name written on the white rectangle on the front. "It's just us, what's wrong with this one?"

"First off, it's from _middle school_." Haru put her hands on her hips, leaning forward slightly.

"H-how can you tell?" Makoto fought the urge to cover her chest. It had been good luck she was able to reuse the uniform rather than having to purchase another. Shujin prescribed the same style as her middle school.

"I guessed," Haru giggled, bringing the tips of her fingers over her lips. "Surely you would have stopped drawing Buchimaru with your signature by high school."

This time Makoto did cover her chest. Feeling the warmth coming to her cheeks, she turned away. Her swimsuit was just her swimsuit... it had been a long time since she even thought about what it looked like. Shujin no longer had a pool, having opted to devote more resources to volleyball when their old one needed repairs, so she hadn't worn it since her first year. "I-I still think it's fine..."

"My pool, my rules," Haru said as she finished stifling her laughter. She proceeded to drag Makoto to a spare bedroom and shove her inside. "Wait here."

A few minutes later, Haru returned with a selection of swimsuits. Her tastes skewed more pastel than Makoto usually wore. Haru nodded in approval as Makoto picked a moss green one piece. Changing into the suit, she was relieved to find it fit quite appropriately.

Makoto poked her head out the door, finding Haru standing in wait, flicking through her phone.

"Any word from Futaba?" Makoto asked.

"They got caught in traffic," said Haru. "I told her I'd send a car but..."

Makoto smiled. Futaba was nervous about swimming. Combined with her general skittishness around strangers, it was no wonder Sakura-san was willing to close Leblanc for a few hours to ensure her comfort on the trip over.

"Shall we head to the pool?" Haru motioned with one arm. Makoto nodded and followed.

Haru's pool was on the roof encased in a greenhouse composed of several glass roll up doors. It was still too cold outside to open them. Fortunately the ventilation kept the area feeling fresh despite the chemicals while the greenhouse kept the ambient temperature warm, enough so that Makoto momentarily forgot it wasn't yet summer.

The pool itself was 25 meters in length with a gradient of depths. It was much more narrow than those used for competition, perhaps only a few lanes in width. This would be helpful when Futaba advanced to full strokes. The younger girl showed little fear of water during their trip to the beach. It was only when they were facing death on Shido's sinking ship that her lack of swim training had become an issue. This courage meant she would likely advance quickly, though swimming laps probably wouldn't happen this session.

The indoor patio surrounding the pool was dotted with cushioned lounge chairs and tables with umbrellas. A lifeguard sat on a high chair, a request from Haru for all of Futaba's lessons. Taken in total, it was certainly the nicest swimming pool Makoto had ever visited.

Makoto took a few steps towards the water until she realized Haru wasn't following. She turned back. Haru made a motion with her hand to proceed as she sat down on one of the lounge chairs. Makoto lowered herself into the pool and swam a few laps, mindful of what she was doing in hopes of gaining more insight for when she had to teach Futaba.

When Makoto stopped and let her feet fall to the pool floor, she saw Haru escorting Futaba towards the edge of the pool. The smaller girl was wearing the ruffled bikini Ann had picked out for their beach trip with one addition: large green-tinted goggles.

"Ready?" Makoto called. "It's shallow here. You'll be able to stand."

Futaba took a deep breath and nodded, both her shoulders and head moving as she exhaled. "Ready!"

"Just to be sure... you're not afrai-"

Makoto's question was cut off by Futaba's jump into the pool. She closed her eyes, pinched her nose, and then sent splashes in all directions. Both Makoto and Haru flinched. By the time Makoto opened her eyes again, Futaba was standing less than a meter away, her head looking from side to side and her lips parted. Haru was seating herself on the edge of the pool, letting her calves dangle into the water.

"Huh..." said Futaba. "I thought it'd be deeper."

"It gets deeper over there," Makoto pointed along the length of the pool. "How are you feeling? Are you able to move okay?"

Futaba wiggled her arms and kicked her legs before nodding.

"What about walking?" Makoto continued.

Futaba took a few short steps. "It's fine."

"Okay. Let's start with your legs," Makoto walked over to the edge of the pool, near Haru but not so close as to splash her. "You're going to hold onto the side of the pool with your arms outstretched and practice kicking along the water. Like this."

Makoto demonstrated the maneuver, alternating each leg. She counted to fifteen in her head before righting herself again.

"Did you get that?" Makoto asked.

"Mmm... I think," said Futaba, placing her hands on the ledge.

"Try to keep your legs straight," said Makoto. "You should notice that if you keep kicking, your won't sink. Ready?"

"Mm."

"Okay, then get into position. Haru and I will be right here with you. Go for as long as you feel comfortable."

Futaba's initial attempts were short, first because she wanted feedback and next for tips on how to manage breathing. It wasn't long before she had worked her way up such that Makoto was the one stopping her. It was good to take breaks to avoid fatigue.

"You're a good teacher," Haru said during one of Futaba's sprints.

"I try..." Makoto forced herself to smile. It dropped as she focused on Futaba's form. "I'm just following what I read on some websites and what I remember from when Sis taught me..."

"It's good you remembered the swimming requirement," said Haru. "I completely forgot having taken the test."

"The student council sometimes helps with the organization," Makoto explained. Since losing their pool, Shujin had been administering the test off-site.

"Mako-chan is good at keeping track of all sorts of things."

"Th-thanks." Makoto looked away. Making sure nothing went wrong was second nature to her. She prided herself in it, though it largely went unnoticed. It was nice to be recognized.

Soon afterwards, Makoto pat Futaba on the back, indicating it was time to rest.

"Do you feel like you've gotten the hang of it?" Makoto asked when Futaba was standing again.

"I think so."

"Good. Let's go to where it's just a little deeper and I'll show you how to tread water." Makoto led Futaba towards the deeper end, keeping a close watch on the water level and reminding herself she was significantly taller than the other girl. When the water level rose above Futaba's shoulders, Makoto stopped. "Okay, now you're going to kick your legs while upright, but slowly. You'll also make circular motions with your arms like this."

Makoto paddled over to slightly deeper water to demonstrate. She motioned to the other girl to give it a try. Futaba raised her arms to water level, propelled in part by her underwater kicking.

"A little bit slower..." Makoto corrected Futaba's form.

Futaba adjusted her speed, beginning to experiment with what would keep her afloat easiest. She tried several variants. After a minute of getting comfortable with one configuration, she puffed her cheeks full of air, opened her eyes wide, and puckered her lips. "I'm a fish alien!"

Makoto tried ineffectually to suppress her chuckle. Futaba was too cute. She cleared her throat. "That's it... if you're ever stuck, you can tread water until you figure out what to do next. You won't get anywhere this way, but you won't drown. It's much better than panicking and fighting the water."

"Blub blub blub."

Makoto wasn't sure if Futaba was paying attention anymore. She had put in a lot of work so far and was largely unused to exercise. Perhaps it was time to take a longer break.

"Hiiii!" Ann's voice broke Makoto from her thoughts. Her blond friend had one hand up in the air waving, the other carrying a large inner tube. She wore exaggerated sunglasses and soft pink bikini with matching tie sides on the bottom and a coordinating tie front top. At Ann's side was Suzui Shiho in a purple cropped-tank bikini and her usual knee and elbow sleeves.

"Guys! I'm a fish alien!" Futaba called.

"Let's head back. You should take a break," Makoto said to Futaba. "Turn towards the shallow end and try kicking at a slight angle. It won't be fast, but I'll guide you."

"Okay."

When they arrived back at the shallow end, Futaba hoisted herself up next to Haru. Ann was floating on the inner tube she brought while Shiho waded nearby.

"Haru! Do you have more of those? I want to play!" Futaba pointed at Ann.

"Sure!" Haru tilted her head and smiled. She turned back towards one of the people in suits waiting by the door and made motions with her hand, pointing at Ann's inflatable.

"Why don't you wait a few minutes?" Makoto suggested. "You worked hard today. You should rest."

"I feel fine," Futaba whined. A deep rolling growl came from her stomach, one that seemed too big to come from such a small girl. She blushed. "Uh... I guess I could use a snack."

"I have just the thing in mind!" Haru once again turned to the door, this time motioning to another staff member. Not long after, a tray full of fresh fruit and vegetables along with assorted cheeses and crackers appeared along with a tall glass of something bubbly and pink with whipped cream on top. Haru sipped the drink through a straw. "If there's anything specific you want, just ask."

"I want one of those," said Ann, pointing at the drink. One of the staff members who had brought the food nodded.

"Me too!" said Futaba as she followed Haru over to the table where the trays had been placed. Makoto, Ann, and Shiho climbed out of the pool and joined them.

"You looked good out there Futaba," Ann said as she picked out a strawberry from the platter.

"Futaba is a fast learner," said Makoto.

"What have you done so far?" asked Shiho.

"We did leg stuff against the wall," said Futaba as she grabbed a watermelon slice with both hands. "And then we did treading water."

"Are you going to do the arms today?" Shiho turned to Makoto.

"We'll see," said Makoto. "Maybe just a little so the idea is there. I want the fundamentals of what we learned already to be the focus."

"After the arms, it's all just practice, right?" said Ann, her words a little muffled by the last of her bite of strawberry.

"She'll also need to know how to do a proper racing dive," replied Makoto.

"L-like in the Olympics?" Futaba's eyes were wide.

"That's the idea," Shiho smiled. "But of course you're not expected to dive at that level."

"Wh-what level then?"

"Maybe it's better if we demonstrate," said Makoto.

"We could even do it like a race!" Shiho's eyes sparkled as she made the suggestion. One of her hands balled into a fist. She turned to Makoto. "How about it Niijima-senpai? It'll be fun."

Makoto looked at Shiho and blinked. She supposed she was the only other practicing athlete in the room. "O-okay."

"Let's just make this a single length so Futaba can see the dive," said Haru. "I'll handle the start. Ann-chan... why don't you judge the end?"

"Mm," Ann nodded.

Makoto turned to Futaba. "You should watch from where Haru was sitting earlier."

The girls proceeded to take their positions, Ann and Futaba taking their bubbly drinks with them. Makoto stood at the short end of the pool, stretching her limbs to prepare. She hadn't raced anyone since her first year of high school but she did try to keep fit. Against a swimming specialist she wouldn't stand a chance, but Shiho's focus wasn't in the water either.

"On your mark," Haru called.

The two girls took their positions.

"Ready..."

Makoto listened carefully for the next word from Haru's lips.

"GO!" Just as Haru shouted the word, she snapped the bottom of Makoto's swimsuit.

"Eh?" Makoto turned back to Haru.

Haru's small laugh in response was nearly drowned out by the sound of Shiho's splash. Makoto turned her attention back to the pool and took off, estimating the other girl was already several lengths ahead. She focused on swimming her hardest, reminding herself not to break form by trying to locate Shiho in the water.

When Makoto emerged at the other end of the pool, she turned to find her competitor already upright, a hand on the wall keeping her steady as she tread water in the deeper end. Shiho looked at her with parted lips and large open eyes.

"Ah." Realization seemed to dawn on Shiho. Her face lit up, her torso filling with air. Her whole body seemed to rise along with her large, open-mouthed smile. "I did it! Ann! I did it!"

Shiho climbed, more like scrambled, out of the pool and hugged Ann in something akin to a tackle. Makoto couldn't tell due to the droplets of water, but it almost looked like their were tears in the corners of Shiho's eyes.

Makoto slowly pulled herself out of the water. Haru and Futaba had walked over from the other end. Futaba was standing next to Ann and Shiho, babbling about how cool Shiho looked in the water. Haru stood waiting for Makoto, her fingers laced behind her back.

"At the beginning of the race-" Makoto started.

"Suzui-san looks so happy," Haru interrupted, her gaze traveling over to the other swimmer. "She must be nervous about her abilities after that fall."

 _Oh._ Makoto looked over to Shiho as well, her eyes finding shiny pink lines of skin, scars from her many surgeries that she had taught herself to ignore. She had been so focused on the race, she hadn't stopped to think about how Shiho might feel. So much for keeping track of things. She felt something nauseating begin to grow in the pit of her stomach. She pressed her lips together.

"Th-thanks," Makoto's eyes found their way to her feet. She felt her face heating up. She had put a lot of thought, a lot of effort, into looking out for others. She had believed herself a considerate person... and yet so easily she...

"Try to look a little happier for her," Haru leaned over and whispered.

"Ah..." Makoto brought her head up and made a small smile. She walked over to Shiho and the others. "Nice swimming! ...Futaba, did you learn anything?"

"Hrm... it went by too fast!" Futaba shook her head. "Oh wait! The way you kicked your legs. I can do that!"

"Good," Makoto smiled, genuinely this time. She returned her attention to Shiho, who was wiping away water from her eyes. It was so easy to think oneself caring, to think oneself vigilant, but to still have such gaping blind spots.

Makoto felt a tug at her hand. Futaba was looking up at her wide-eyed, goggles perched on her head. Makoto realized she must be doing it again. She offered the smaller girl a polite smile and walked back to Haru, thinking it best to hide her face for now.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Haru's kept her voice quiet.

"If I don't take it seriously, then I won't improve." Makoto thought about how many times she had seen people behave poorly, refusing to believe they could possibly have done anything wrong due to their other previous actions, due to how they defined themselves. She had probably been guilty of thinking the same way at times. She tried so hard and yet she was barely keeping her head-

"And you are," Haru's hair bobbed as her she smiled with a single a nod. "It all worked out and now you'll remember it in the future."

"It's just so embarrassing," Makoto could still feel the heat on her face. "I thought I was a considerate person but-"

"Well, that's something only others get to judge, is it not?" Haru brought her hand to her chin and looked up.

"Yeah, you're right." Makoto tried to shove the label out of her mind. She bit her lower lip and worried it against her teeth.

"Okay, time to stop being up on yourself," Haru goosed Makoto's sides, causing the older girl to jump. "That doesn't serve anyone. Now you're just being indulgent. Come on, let's help them have their fun!"

"R-right," Makoto looked down and smiled. "Thanks Haru."

"Everyone! The floaties are here!" Haru called. Makoto and the others turned their attention to the other side of the pool where people in suits were carrying inflated lounge chairs, inner tubes, and even a few animals including a dolphin and a dragon.

"I call dragon!" Futaba yelled as fast as the words would leave her mouth. She started jogging towards the toys.

"Futaba! Careful! You'll trip!" Makoto called after the girl, walking as quickly as she could.

Haru kept pace, giggling. "Glad to see you back to form already."

Makoto smiled. "We can only do our best, right?"


End file.
